The Best New Shows on Netflix This Week - Jennifer Aniston in Dumplin', Nailed It!

TV Guide

Friday

Dec 7, 2018 at 3:24 PM

Ready to watch something new on Netflix this weekend? Here is a list of all the best new shows and movies released on Netflix this week.

Holiday specials used to be reserved for cheap shows to add another hour to its run, but nowadays the holiday special has become an honor. Netflix is leading the way by Christmas-ifying some shows; next week, we'll get a holiday version of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and this week we've got a cooking show and an anime that get in the spirit. Of course, Netflix wouldn't be Netflix unless it catered to everyone, so there are also some options for those who want to Grinch out on thinking of yuletide.

Below I go through all the Netflix releases this week, and if you're looking for even more hand-picked recommendations, click over to our Watch This Now! page.

(All titles are out Friday, Dec. 7 unless specified otherwise.)

The Biggest Releases

Dumplin' Finding a feel-good movie that has nothing to do with Christmas isn't easy right now, but as far as we can tell, Dumplin' could be set in the middle of July. The stars have aligned perfectly to allow Jennifer Aniston to star in her first Netflix movie, and she plays a former Texas pageant queen and local celebrity who's still active on the circuit as a pageant manager. But things go topsy-turvy when her spitfire of a daughter (Danielle Macdonald) -- who isn't typical pageant material -- decides to enter the competition. As if things couldn't get more down home, the movie is filled with Dolly Parton songs.

Nailed It!, Holiday Special If you've made a gingerbread house that's been condemned by the housing board, then you'll relate to the competitors in Netflix's fun baking show. The series -- which drops seven holiday-themed episodes Friday -- asks amateurs to replicate impressive confections, and celebrates failure as much as it does success, as the whole idea behind the cult hit is that we can't all measure up to the cooking quality of mommy bloggers. Host Nicole Byer is a force, and at the end, she shoots a ton of money out of a gun. (Trailer)

The Ranch, Season 3 To be honest, we all thought The Ranch would be a lot worse than it actually was when it debuted in 2016. But the blue-collar multi-cam sitcom about a man (Ashton Kutcher) who returns home to work his dad's (Sam Elliott) ranch had a ton of heart. The second half of Season 3 is the first without Danny Masterson, who was fired from the show after allegations of sexual assault, but he's sort of replaced by Dax Shepard, who joins the series as a war vet with a past connection to the ranch. (Trailer)

Everything Else

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle Yes, we just got a live-action version of The Jungle Book in 2016, but WE LOVE CONTENT so here's another. This one comes from Gollum himself, mo-cap pro Andy Serkis, and features a live human as the titular boy raised by beasts, and CGI animals who talk. It's supposedly darker than other versions, so only let your kids watch if they've been bad.

5 Star Christmas This Italian comedy about a prime minister who goes to Budapest near Christmas is either an homage to Mel Brooks movies and Weekend at Bernie's or Italian cinema is stuck in the '80s. (Trailer)

The American Meme Put your phone down and watch this! (Or watch it on your phone.) The world of "social media influencers" and "social media disruptors" -- whatever they are -- is examined in this documentary. The good part appears to be when they all admit that they are sad. Feast on the schadenfreude. (Trailer)

Netflix Has All the Holiday Movies and Specials You Could Ever Need

Bad Blood, Season 1 Did you know that Canada has mobsters? This well-received crime drama comes to the U.S. to tell the semi-true story of the Rizutto family, and it stars Sons of Anarchy's Kim Coates and Veronica Mars-Person of Interest-Just Shoot Me alum Enrico Colantoni. (Trailer)

Dogs of Berlin, Season 1 Two cops investigate the death of a soccer player in this German thriller. As far as we can tell, there are no actual dogs in this. (Trailer)

Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas Whaaaaaaaaat? Two horse puns in one title? Saddle up for this pony show about young galloping gals who think Christmas is the mane attraction. You'll be glued to your TV! (Trailer)

The Hook Up Plan In this French series, two friends help their single pal feel like she's not worthless by hiring a male escort to romance her, basically. Wow, what wonderful friends! (Trailer)

Every show on The WB, ranked

Neo Yokio: Pink Christmas Neo Yokio is an American anime series made by the guy from Vampire Weekend and features voice work from Jaden Smith as a magician who fights demons and has a transformer butler (voiced by Jude Law) and in one episode he performed an exorcism on a Chanel bag. It's also pretty great, even if it doesn't make a lick of sense. This is the one-episode Christmas special. (Trailer)

Pine Gap, Season 1 In this Australian series, a joint American-Australian defense force facility has workers on both sides not trusting each other. If Australians and Americans can't trust each other, we're all doomed! (Trailer)

ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? Netflix's music-doc series continues with a real true-crime angle on the murder of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay. The guy was gunned down at age 37 and no one wants to talk about it. WHY? (Trailer)

Super Monsters and the Wish Star The Super Monsters franchise is pumping out the content, this time with the tiny tots prepping for Santa's visit. But how will Santa react when he sees these kids are actually a bunch of supposedly adorable monsters? (Trailer)

Back Street Girls -Gokudols-, Season 1 Maybe I'm into anime now? In this one, three Yakuza are disciplined by their boss to have sex changes and become K-Pop stars. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. (Wednesday, Dec. 12) (Trailer)

Out of Many, One This quick documentary follows five immigrants as they pursue the American Dream: owning a Taco Bell franchise loving their country and having the opportunity to become successful. (Wednesday, Dec. 12) (Trailer)

Wanted, Season 3 It's Thelma & Louise all over again as a pair of women go on the run after being accused of a crime they didn't commit. In Season 3, they're in the clink and in danger of getting shanked on the inside! (Thursday, Dec. 13) (Trailer)